Government Schemes on Unemployment
| Year | Scheme Name | Objective | Target Group | Key Features / Benefits |
| 1983 | Self-Employment Scheme for Educated Unemployed Youth (SEEUY) | Promote self-employment among educated unemployed | Educated unemployed youth | Bank loans + subsidy; merged into PMRY later |
| 1993 | Prime Minister’s Rozgar Yojana (PMRY) | Provide subsidised loans for self-employment | Educated unemployed youth (18–40 yrs) | Bank loans with subsidy; merged into PMEGP |
| 2005 | Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA) | Provide 100 days of guaranteed wage employment | Rural households | Right-to-work programme; unskilled manual labour; >50% women beneficiaries |
| 2008 | Prime Minister’s Employment Generation Programme (PMEGP) | Generate self-employment through micro-enterprises | Youth, artisans | Credit-linked subsidy (15–35%); merged PMRY & REGP |
| 2014 | Deen Dayal Upadhyaya Grameen Kaushalya Yojana (DDU-GKY) | Placement-linked skill training | Rural youth (15–35 yrs) | Demand-driven training + job placements |
| 2015 | Pradhan Mantri Kaushal Vikas Yojana (PMKVY) | Skill training & certification | Unemployed youth | Short-term training, Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL) |
| 2015 | National Career Service (NCS) Portal | Modernise employment exchanges | Job seekers, employers | Online job matching, career counselling |
| 2015 | Pradhan Mantri Mudra Yojana (PMMY) | Finance for small entrepreneurs | Micro & small businesses, self-employed | Loans up to ₹10 lakh (Shishu, Kishore, Tarun) |
| 2016 | Startup India Initiative | Promote entrepreneurship & innovation | Startups, entrepreneurs | Tax benefits, compliance ease, funding support |
| 2016 | Stand-Up India Scheme | Promote SC/ST & women entrepreneurship | SC/ST & women | Loans ₹10 lakh – ₹1 crore for enterprises |
| 2016 | National Apprenticeship Promotion Scheme (NAPS) | Expand apprenticeship training | Youth, industries | Govt subsidy for stipends & training |
| 2017 | Samarth (Scheme for Capacity Building in Textiles Sector) | Skilling in textiles sector | Textile workers, artisans | Training in apparel, handicrafts, handloom |
| 2017 | Skill Acquisition and Knowledge Awareness for Livelihood Promotion (SANKALP) | Strengthen skill training ecosystem | ITIs, vocational trainees | Institutional reforms + quality training |
| 2017 | Skills Strengthening for Industrial Value Enhancement (STRIVE) | Improve quality of industrial training | ITI students & trainers | Industry partnership for training |
| 2018 | Atal Beemit Vyakti Kalyan Yojana (ABVKY) | Provide unemployment allowance | ESIC insured workers | Cash relief for job loss (formal sector) |
| 2019 | Pradhan Mantri Shram Yogi Maandhan (PM-SYM) | Old-age security for informal workers | Unorganised workers (18–40 yrs) | ₹3000/month pension after 60 yrs |
| 2020 | Atmanirbhar Bharat Rojgar Yojana (ABRY) | Promote formal job creation | New EPFO-registered employees | Govt pays PF contribution (employer + employee) |
| 2020 | Garib Kalyan Rojgar Abhiyaan (GKRA) | Provide employment to migrants post-COVID | Migrant workers in 116 districts | Local infrastructure works for employment |
| 2021 | e-SHRAM Portal | Create database of informal workers | Unorganised workers | Connects to social security schemes |
Government Policies and Acts on Unemployment in India
1. Constitutional Foundations
The Indian Constitution lays the guiding framework for employment-related policies:
- Article 41 (Directive Principle of State Policy): State shall make provisions for the right to work and public assistance in cases of unemployment.
- Article 39(a): Ensures citizens have the right to adequate means of livelihood.
- Article 43: Mandates living wages, decent conditions of work, and social security for all workers.
These provisions do not guarantee the right to work directly (except through MGNREGA later) but direct the State to promote employment and social security.
